PU to restart inspection of affiliated colleges

Panjab University (PU) syndicate decided to restart the periodic inspection of affiliated arts colleges, (government and private) and constitute committees for the purpose at a meeting held in Chandigarh on January 27.

Since 2001 periodic inspections have not been carried out in the colleges of Punjab and Chandigarh. However, PU rules warrant that every affiliated college be inspected, at least once in four years, by a committee appointed by the syndicate on the recommendations of the vice-chancellor.

There is also a provision for special inspections if the syndicate deems fit. According to rules, the inspection committee has to carry out inspections and submit its report to the registrar within ten days of the inspection. This report has to be then placed before the syndicate.

PU dean of colleges Naval Kishore said, “In the recent syndicate meeting, it was decided that periodic inspections should be conducted in the affiliated colleges. It is important to check the colleges from time to time.”

PU syndicate and senate member Harpreet Singh Dua said, “Several colleges are violating the rules and regulations of the PU calendar. I raised the issue in the syndicate meeting.”

Dua also said there were many colleges, which were not paying their teachers according to the University Grants Commission (UGC) and PU norms. “Many colleges are not providing the Contributory Provident Fund, nor extending paid maternity leaves and casual leaves to their teachers. All this was raised in the meeting,” added Dua.

Tarlok Bandhu, another syndicate and senate member said, “Just like the B.ED colleges, which are regularly inspection, degree colleges too must be inspected.”

Narinder Sandhu, principal of Ramgarhia Girls College, Ludhiana, said, “It is not possible to pay teachers according to the UGC norms, given the current fee-structure for the self-finance courses and the concessions involved therein.”

Guru Nanak Girls College principal Charanjit Kaur Mahal said that they have been paying their teachers according to the UGC norms and have also been extending eight casual leaves to the teachers. But the PU calendar states that women teachers would be given 20 days' casual leave a year, irrespective of the number of years of service.

Meera Modi, principal of Dev Samaj College for Women, Sector 45, Chandigarh, said, “We are not paying teachers as per the UGC norms as there are many problems, which was conveyed to the vice-chancellor at a principal's conference. We have also started giving paid maternity leaves from the last year.” However, Modi did not reveal the number of such leaves given last year.

Meanwhile, principal of the Guru Nanak National College, Doraha, Ludhiana, Narinder Singh Sidhu, said there were no instructions from the UGC on salary structure.